Lincoln's musical tastes

[nrandolph]

My wife was preparing a lesson for her first graders last night about Abraham Lincoln. She looked over at me and asked, "What kind of music did Lincoln like?". I pulled down various Lincoln books I own and found a reference to his liking of musical dramas and operas. In fact, he made a comment that one of the women he saw in Mozart's The Magic Flute had feet so large and flat that, and I think this is the correct quote, "beetles wouldn't stand much of a chance there."

Besides that example, does anyone one else have references to Lincoln's taste in music? Perhaps any programs that he would've listened to while in the White House? Anything that you can give and reference would be much appreciated by my wife and her, now curious, husband!

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Jubilo]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Dear Sir ,
Lincoln supposedly liked "Listen to the Mockingbird ," Dixie " and "Blue Tail Fly " , the latter of which he refered to as " that buzzing song."
all for the old flag ,
David Corbett

[paulcalloway]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Barbara Allen was reportedly, President Lincoln's mother's favorite song. I've also read that Kathleen Mavourneen was a President Lincoln favorite.

I'll try to dig up some sources that support that.

[amity]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Lincoln 'supposedly' sang from the Missouri Harmony (still available) when a young man. Somewhere I have a quote on which was his favorite song, which I will try to find.

[MissouriStateGuard]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Neil,

Try to find or interlibrary loan Songs Lincoln Loved, by John Lair, published in 1954. It is the only book I remember seeing specifically on the subject.

Good luck,
Kip Lindberg

[maineman]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Popular reports say that a spontanious crowd formed at the White House on the evening after the surrender at Appomatox was reported publicly. Having not prepared any sort of official or public comment, Lincold appeared and saw a brass band amongst the crowd and requested "DIXIE" be played.

He was fond of that tune and was quoted offhand saying that it had been 4 years since he had heard it to his enjoyment.

[nrandolph]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Thanks to everyone who replied today. Some useful and new info emerged! I was especially interested in the shape note book singing that Lincoln would've done and always good to hear of a old Lincoln book I didn't know existed!

Thanks again everybody!
Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Danny]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Thanks to everyone who replied...Neil Randolph
1st WV

It's good to have a couple Lincoln fav's to pull out in the event he shows up on campaign.

- Dan Wykes

[nrandolph]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Nice pic! Is that a period picture or a "computer tinkered" thing? If it's period, where did it come from?

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Danny]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Nice pic! Is that a period picture or a "computer tinkered" thing? If it's period, where did it come from?

Neil Randolph
1st WV

Neil -

Alas, an eBay seller verified it as old and period, and it looks that way, but I have no other provenance for it. It's part of a small collection of early banjo images I copied to the "Minstrel Banjo" group supplemental site:

http://groups.google.com/group/Albert-Baur?hl=en

- Dan Wykes

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

This may come too late, but Louis Moreau Gottschalk's Notes of a Pianist mentions a White House performance of "The Union" that was well received. I'll check my copy for the date, but it's a wonderful piece in any case, a real pulse quickener.

This site has further information about Lincoln and music:

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=GvPQ51By1sJyn5gW52mhhDBc9HQ111LQh02vfht5VLtyVNmhrBgh!2142297074!398753115?a=o&d=5001603426

[nrandolph]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Thanks a bunch! Never too late to keep getting interesting bits of info!

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Thanks a bunch! Never too late to keep getting interesting bits of info!

Neil Randolph
1st WV

I was wrong -- it wasn't the White House. Here's the entry (from Notes of a Pianist, Knopf, NY 1964, pp. 170-171):

Concert at Washington. The President of the United States and his lady are there. I have reserved seats for them in the first row. The Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, accompanies them. Mrs. Lincoln has a very ordinary countenance. Lincoln is remarkably ugly, but has an intelligent air, and his eyes have a remarkable expression of goodness and mildness. After an encore I played my fantasia, The Union, in the midst of great enthusiasm. Lincoln does not wear gloves. I played very badly and was furious with myself, which, however, did not prevent many of my friends from coming to congratulate me on my success...

[Danny]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Perhaps we close the thread with this piece from the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana, the "Funeral March" for Lincoln. Copy of music available at that Lincoln music site:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/scsmhtml/scsmhome.html

- Dan Wykes

[amity]

Re: Lincoln's musical tastes

Okay, have a few sources:

First, an anecdote originating with Carl Sandberg (_The American Songbag_, p. 152) elaborated on here-

http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/picayune/july06.pdf

"Young Abraham Lincoln and his sweetheart Ann Rutledge sang from the book (Missiouri Harmony-ts) in the Rutledge tavern in New Salem, Illinois, according to old settlers there." Early 20th-century local historian Josephine Craven Chandler recalled "stories of Sunday evenings when the family sang in unison and he turned for her by the fire and candle light the worn pages of the "Missouri Harmony Songbook"; and, it is told, she sang for him alone sometimes in her clear, strong, girlish voice."

As often happens, there's at least a kernel of truth to the legend. And, as sometimes also happens, the truth is more interesting than the legend.

We can confirm from other sources that young Abraham Lincoln did in fact sing from Missouri Harmony with the Rutledge youngsters. We even know a song he enjoyed singing. After a fashion, at least. Lincoln had a terrible voice, and he made a mess of the song, but sing it he did. Robert Rutledge, Ann's brother, said he's "tip back his chair and roar it out at the top of his voice, over and over again, just for fun." The racket was so loud it bothered little Sally, the youngest of the Rutledge children.

The song is called "Legacy." "

A more reliable factoid is that Lincoln's favorite song from the M.H. was "Greenfields," the words of which (by John Newton, author of Amazing Grace) begin "How tedious and tasteless the hours When Jesus no longer I see."

Here is a blog discussing a talk given by one Weldon Petz on "The Musical Note In Lincoln’s Life” that might be fun to follow up:

http://www.entish.org/wordpress/?p=535

It also includes a link to a copy of the campaign songster used in Lincoln's 1864 presidential campaign.